


A Constellation of Scars

by ANarrativeCloud



Category: Suikoden, Suikoden II
Genre: Angst, Beginnings, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Politics, SO MANY TIMES, Sacrifice, Suikoden II Alternate Endings, the result of me replaying suikoden II, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22528531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANarrativeCloud/pseuds/ANarrativeCloud
Summary: At the end of it all, there was their promise and the cross that marks it. The roaring waterfall a distant memory, but Riou does not always remember until he does.TL;DR 3 Possible Endings for Suikoden 2 that was mostly me being a kid and not knowing how to play an RPG.
Relationships: Jowy Atreides & Nanami & Riou, Jowy Atreides & Riou
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	A Constellation of Scars

**_First_ **

**R** iou forgets the promise he’s made. He does not return to the edge of the waterfall, but he also does not accept Shu’s plea for him to lead The Dunan Republic. He was their leader, the one that all of them acknowledged, but he does not feel as if this right is his. (He understands that he was just a puppet, a symbol they used to further their goals in war. He does not blame them for using a symbol like a True Rune to unite under, as he himself was all too willing to play the part of a hero-king.) But at the same time, he knows he accepted it the moment he jumped from that waterfall, (the moment he laid down his sword never to be touched again and instead wielded his tonfas, his weapon that his beloved grandfather had imparted to him). The last vestiges of his memory from that peaceful time he could never return to.

He visits Pilika sometimes but stops after he realizes that he does not age. He does not look back.

(The Rune of Beginning is both Bright Shield and Black Sword) and having just half of the Rune tears at his soul, an ache that he does not know how to quell. The bright light of his single rune burning underneath his skin is too hard to ignore.

He feels, more than sees when the black light that pierces the sky is seen by the world, and only then does he remember.

He regrets.

He should remember his promises.

_Second_

**R** iou remembers this time, the promise he has made with Jowy, and returns to that place where everything started. The place where he could still see the fire and the blood of the people he’s spent so much time with. The names of the aspiring that he spent his youth with in the Unicorn Brigade. (The _traitorTraitor! **TRAITOR**_ Rowd who he will never forgive. The traitor who smirked and hunted them down until he couldn’t.) He sees Jowy and he does not have enough faith in himself. He does not have enough of anything _left._ He is only a shadow of what he could have been, of what he was. He cannot muster the forgiveness he thought he was ready to give, so he _fights._ He fights because he no longer knows how to do anything else.

 _redreded_ fills his visions, the tang of iron never leaving his tongue, the _redred_ of blood as wounds gush from arrows piercing _Nanami’s chest_ and the _palewhiteashen_ face of his best friend, his other half, the darkness to his light, the reason and compassion to his faith. He does not forget.

His heart hurts when Jowy tells him he wants to die and a small part of him wants to let Jowy live, let him earn forgiveness that way that he wishes he could give. Yet the choice is taken out of his hands. Jowy’s body fails him and Riou tries to heal him but the Black Sword Rune and the Bright Shield Rune repel each other, and his efforts prove futile. Jowy makes a decision that brings Riou grief. There is no going back.

He’s heard enough about the Rune to know that it grants an agelessness that he cannot fathom. He is still too young. He is still too…

No.

Riou is no longer a child.

He has not been a child for a long, long time.

“Please, take the Black Sword Rune.” Jowy pleads shakily.

Riou accepts it with a heavy heart.

They hold their hands together and raise it to the sky.

Then everything is bright and dark and nothing at the same time, and when he opens his eyes, there is only himself, the barren earth, a rock carved with an X, and the crashing sounds of the waterfall.

He weeps.

He does not remember how long he stays, the roar of the waterfalls dulling his senses, his knees protesting at his position but he does not register it, the remainder of his best friend clutched in his hands as the Black Sword Rune takes Jowy with it too.

But he has duties, and leading the country that has only come from war is no small task, yet it is one he will shoulder.

Riou does not have time to think about his losses. He does not have time to feel his grief. He does not have enough time to himself and he thinks that this is the most fitting punishment that he deserves.

(In his room, inside a box with a rusty lock, Jowy’s clothes are neatly folded, together with Nanami’s headband.)

_Third_

**R** iou grieves but his heart is full. He is tired, but he has _faith_. The sun has risen, and the war no longer looms above like rainclouds on a summer day.

His resolve is set, and nothing will stand in his way. When Shu asks him if he wishes to lead, he asks for time to decide. (Time that the country cannot afford, but Riou has been selfless for the country time and time again, does he not deserve even the slightest reprieve? Does he not deserve _rest_ from this burden he never asked for? A burden that was lain on his shoulders because of another legend of a hero, a legend he does not think he can live up to.) He walks, walks and walks, alone and meandering, visiting every town and village he’s previously visited with some help from Viki and the Blinking Mirror. Riou thinks he might decide while on the road. He does not let the people recognize him, but he looks past them and sees the people rebuilding, learning how to live again now that the war was over. There is no longer the heaviness of war looming over the shoulders of the people.

Then he realizes that this is peace.

_(Can I have this peace too?)_

He meets Lazlo when he visits Gregminster but does not know of him. He only sees a kindred spirit when he sees one. They only share the same table on the very busy Inn’s tavern. Only meeting eyes and nodding in acknowledgement.

(He is blessed with this meeting. The Bright Shield Rune on his right hand glimmers with a small light.)

He sees Freyjadour when Gremio goes to Dunan with him to get McDohl. They spend several days on the road together until they got to Radat where Tir had been staying for a while.

Then he visits Kyaro.

He does not step foot into the dojo, does not step foot into the training arena, not the woods behind the Atreides mansion. Not anywhere but the overlooking view of the tree behind his childhood home. The tree with scribbles, marks and scratches from when they frequently played there. Then on the horizon he sees the Tenzan Path, the northern pass through the mountains that surround Kyaro. There is a pull on him, a tugging at the corner of his mind that tells him he needs to see that place too. He _wants_ to see where it all began. (He does not remember his promise, but somehow, his heart still does.)

It takes him hours of trekking, his feet sore and blistered and fending off monsters on the familiar hard path ( _alone_ , but he’s always been alone ever since Nanami… ever since that siege at Rockaxe. _Alone_ but he also recognizes that he’s surrounded by people. People brimming with energy and love and compassion that he _knows_ he’s lost her but there is still so _much._ He does not need her to stand strong, but it is a loss he still feels keenly and he has not yet finished grieving, but there will be time) before he reaches the end of the path.

He remembers these slopes a little too well, a little too much.

Riou reaches the clearing where they had set up their tents, he hears the crackling of fire in the place which should have been safe, the blending of the voices of the jolly Unicorn brigade that often like to joke at each other’s expense. The central bonfire where they told stories about their families and talked about that one trainee who never hit the center of his targets, or that one soldier who snore like a beast and everyone always make sure to pick the area farthest from that one’s. He does not linger. He continues walking.

Through the winding barren mountain roads, he continues.

The roads are uncharacteristically silent.

At the end of it all, Jowy is there.

He shouldn’t say that he is surprised.

(But he _is._ He shouldn’t have been.)

“You remembered our promise.” Jowy says, an odd light in his eyes. His smile is crooked and there are dark circles underneath his eyes. His skin is pale, paler than even Sierra’s on a good day.

Riou had not. He had not remembered but somehow his instinct still led him to this place. At least, not up until that moment, not until he saw that familiar mountain range and felt that _pull_. He does not correct Jowy though. He might say that later, when his forgetfulness may not be construed as callousness. When Jowy has settled and will not take it as an affront. So he stays silent, taking in every detail he can about his best friend that he hasn’t seen in what feels like years.

When Jowy raises his voice, raises his hand, raises his staff (the staff that he had replaced for a cruel sword for a chance at breaking an enemy from within), Riou does not retaliate. He does not respond. He wants to stop this farce. Scream at Jowy’s selfishness but…

He waits.

Patiently.

For Jowy to catch up.

It’s only a matter of time.

He has already _forgiven_ him. He’s has forgiven those that have hurt him (his heart is _full_ of love, understanding and _compassion_. So much so that he does not understand where it comes from). He has forgiven the world for being the way it is.

(His heart sings with the stories and hopes of 108 sins that have turned into stars inside the constellation of his scars.)

(Leknaat does not appear. The light of 108 stars guide them in her stead.)

(The Rune of Beginning shines bright, its heart moved. Something stirs, something ends, and something starts again and then it fizzles out.)

_(This conflict is one that has ended, but there is more to this story than what has passed.)_

_(The future is not set in stone.)_

Jowy cries, but the tears that fall are relieved tears.

_(He had laid down his burden alas)_

Riou smiles as he hoists Jowy upon one shoulder.

Now no more words need be said.

(For now. Maybe _later_.)

They’ve barely left the pass when Shu shows up and tells them of Nanami’s decision.

Of her choice to leave the war as she had wanted to do from the beginning but stayed because Riou could not let everything pass by and happen when he has the power to do something about it.

(Riou could not fault her for it.)

(Maybe he had been pushed by the power embedded in his right hand to do something, to change _something_.)

Riou should be angry. He should be angry at her because he _mourned_ her. He was prepared to _leave_ because of her, to lay down all his obligations and duties just so... He then also realizes that she made the right choice. That he could not be the leader that they wanted him to be when he has something more precious to protect that he cannot as a leader. He _is_ angry, and he _will_ most definitely spar with her without mercy when the first opportunity comes to pass. Nanami has always accused him of holding back during their spars and Riou can admit that he _has_ held back, at least against her, because she’s family that he can never hurt. Family that he never wants to hurt.

This time, though.

 _This_ time she’s made that choice for him. She will forever be his sister and he will always protect her, but only from those things she cannot defend herself against. They could have done something about it together. Yet she had taken the decision out of his hands.

At the same time, he is also relieved. (Overwhelming relief that has tears prickling in his eyes.)

No matter the circumstances, he is happy that his sister survived. 

(But _Shu_?)

He lets Jowy stand on his own, (still pale and drawn but _strong,_ the Rune of Beginning both engraved into the backs of both their hands with only the colors differing) and approaches Shu with a slow gait.

Riou steps forward, one-two tap-tap-tap and let the motion carry into a punch, ( ** _bam_** _!_ ) sending the strategist sprawling inelegantly on the ground.

“I should have expected that.” Shu mutters as he touches his slowly swelling cheek gingerly.

Riou rolls his eyes, his fist not even slightly hurt. _How dramatic_. It wasn’t even that heavy. He also remembers Shu lamenting how he hated getting wet, even when he lives beside a river and he promptly lets the Flowing rune on his left hand be filled with energy and douses Shu for a good 30 seconds with soft rain (a.k.a. torrents of water).

He does not know what to say. “ _Heartless bastard_ ”, or…

“Thank you, Shu.” Riou settles for that. He figures the swollen cheek, and maybe a cold that would last him weeks in bed (or maybe just a lingering cough), would be enough of a parting gift than a witty one liner. Shu should be thankful Riou didn’t break his jaw. (And he could have if he just added a _teeny_ bit more force and adjusted his aim just sliiighty lower.) Riou’s finger twitches in temptation. It would be so _easy_ , too. It’s not like Shu had any reliable combat experience…

Shu eyes him warily. “You aren’t going to do anything else, are you?”

Riou pauses slightly, then shakes his head and lets his fingers relax. “I might drop in every now and then to surprise you though, so don’t push your luck.”

Jowy lets out bright peals of laughter.

It really has been a while since he’s let himself be mischievous.

Since he’s let himself be a child.

X

When they get to Kyaro, they do not knock. They do not make any noise. They know Nanami prays at Grandpa’s grave every day, and she is there. Most definitely.

“Nanami.” RIous calls gently. “We’re home.”

Nanami freezes and slowly looks to her right.

“Riou… Jowy…” Nanami sniffles. “Welcome home.”

It ends there but it also doesn’t.

(On the back of Riou’s hand, there glitters the full Rune of Beginning in a bright light green with a dark outline.)

(On Jowy’s hand the colors are reversed, but it is also the Rune of Beginning.)

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, those three are basically what happened on my playthroughs for Suikoden II lol. The first was just me playing to enjoy the story, then I re-played the game a few years later without a walkthrough but being conscious to try and recruit who I can. Then the third is the walkthrough playthrough, where I just went ahead, finished the entire storyline, completing all the stars of destiny but postponed the final cutscene because I wanted to explore the maps and go to Sajah and everywhere that I hadn't been to. I actually just went to the tree and saw the mountains there and went all 'huh' I don't think I've explored that part of the map before. Then i went ahead and went to Tenzan Pass or Mt. Tiger or whatever it was called, got surprised by random encounters with monsters that I haven't seen before and found the odd clearing where the game started. I was hit with so much nostalgia because that was the first playthrough where I saw that part of the map when it wasn't night. And Then I slowly remembered the promise that Riou and Jowy made and I was crying because that was so wholesome. 
> 
> I just love Suikoden II and I really hope that more people can appreciate it. I hope it'll have a remake or something because, it's my childhood, you know?


End file.
